The present invention relates to an apparatus for cultivating plants under artificial conditions and, particularly, to such an apparatus capable of enhancing land productivity and lowering energy consumption.
It has been known that the growing of plants depends largely upon environmental conditions. Natural conditions vary geographically and are not always suitable for agriculture in terms of productivity. Time periods (growing seasons) in which conditions are suitable for production do not exist on some areas of the earth, or exist for only a very short time in other areas. Factory (greenhouse) cultivation is intended to artifically compensate for environmental factors which cause the lowering of agricultural productivity. However, since the factory itself is not completely isolated from the natural environment, there is a limit to the productivity improvement.
In view of the foregoing, it has been proposed to establish an artificial environment which is completely isolated from natural conditions to thereby allow the agricultural product to completely fulfill its growth potential. This so-called "plant factory" is intended to provide an environment in which plants are cultivated under conditions which can be arbitrarily controlled whereby completely controlled production is possible.
In order to establish such an artificial environment, however, the considerable energy consumption required is an economic problem. To effectively utilize the merits of the plant factory is to therefore resolve the problems of land productivity and energy consumption.